Waxed dental textile material and method of preparing and using the same

Abstract

Waxed dental textile material is provided which has a fluorine compound distributed through the wax coating. The fluorine compound provides fluoride ion in a therapeutic amount to inhibit the formation of dental caries when the waxed dental textile material is intimately contacted with the teeth and gingiva to remove food deposits. A method of preparing the dental textile material is provided which assures that a proper amount of fluorine compound is substantially uniformly distributed through the wax coating. A method of inhibiting the formation of dental caries is also provided wherein the waxed dental textile material of the invention is used periodically to remove food deposits from the teeth and gingiva.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method of preparing waxed dental textile material for use in removing food deposits from teeth and the gingiva comprising applying a coating of wax to dental textile material to thereby produce waxed dental textile material, the wax coating being water insoluble and solid at room temperature, the wax coating encompassing the dental textile material and having a fluorine-containing compound distributed therein which provides fluoride ion in a therapeutic amount of inhibit the formation of dental caries when the waxed dental textile material is intimately contacted with the teeth and gingiva to remove food deposits therefrom, the wax coating being applied in an amount whereby particles thereof are deposited on the teeth at the points of contact and in the general area of the gingiva and fluoride ion is slowly released therefrom over a substantial period of time, and the said fluorine-containing compound being present in the wax coating in an amount to provide about 0.0001-2% by weight of fluoride ion based upon the weight of the wax coating. 
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1 wherein the said fluorine-containing compound comprises stannous fluoride. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 1 wherein the wax coating is applied by passing an elongated unwaxed dental textile material of indefinite length through a solution of wax in a volatile solvent, the textile material comprises a plurality of elongated generally longitudinally extending textile fibers and the textile fibers are coated with the wax solution, the fluorine-containing compound is present in the solution in an amount to provide about 0.001-10% by weight of fluoride ion, and the resultant dental textile material coated with the wax solution is passed through a drying zone and the solvent is evaporated therefrom to produce a coating of wax on the textile fibers which has the fluorine-containing compound substantially uniformly dispersed therein. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 1 wherein the wax coating is applied by passing an elongated unwaxed dental textile material of indefinite length through an aqueous emulsion of wax, the textile material comprises a plurality of elongated generally longitudinally extending textile fibers and the textile fibers are coated with the wax emulsion, the fluorine-containing compound is present in the aqueous emulsion in an amount to provide about 0.001-10% by weight of fluoride ion, and the resultant dental textile material coated with the aqueous wax emulsion is passed through a drying zone and the water is evaporated therefrom to produce a wax coating on the textile fibers which has the fluorine-containing compound substantially uniformly distributed therein. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 1 wherein the wax coating is applied by coating an elongated unwaxed dental textile material of indefinite length with molten wax, the dental textile material comprises a plurality of elongated generally longitudinally extending textile fibers and the textile fibers are coated with the molten wax, the fluorine-containing compound is substantialy uniformly distributed in the molten wax in an amount to provide about 0.000l-2% by weight of fluoride ion, and the resultant dental textile material coated with the molten wax is passed through a cooling zone and the temperature is reduced below the melting point of the wax to thereby produce waxed dental textile material having the fluorine-containing compound substantially uniformly distributed through the wax coating. 
     
     
       6. An elongated waxed dental textile material for use in removing food deposits from teeth and the gingiva comprising a plurality of elongated generally longitudinally extending textile fibers coated with a wax coating, the wax coating being water insoluble and solid at room temperature, the wax coating encompassing the dental textile material and having a fluorine-containing compound substantially uniformly distributed therein which provides fluoride ion in a therapeutic amount to inhibit the formation of dental caries when the waxed dental textile material is intimately contacted with the teeth and gingiva to remove food deposits therefrom, the wax coating being applied in an amount whereby particles thereof are deposited on the teeth at the points of contact and in the general area of the gingiva and fluoride ion is slowly released therefrom over a substantial period of time, and the said fluorine-containing compound being present in an amount to provide about 0.0001-2% by weight of fluoride ion based upon the weight of the wax coating. 
     
     
       7. The waxed dental textile material of claim 6 wherein the fluorine-containing compound comprises stannous fluoride. 
     
     
       8. The waxed dental textile material of claim 6 wherein the fluorine-containing compound is stannous fluoride and the stannous fluoride is present in the wax coating in an amount to provide about 1-1.5% by weight of fluoride ion based upon the weight of the wax coating. 
     
     
       9. The waxed dental textile material of claim 6 wherein the said textile fibers comprise a plurality of nylon filaments. 
     
     
       10. A method of inhibiting the formation of dental caries in teeth comprising cleaning the teeth at periodic intervals with an elongated waxed dental textile material to remove food deposits from the teeth and the gingiva, the dental textile material comprising a plurality of elongated generally longitudinally extending textile fibers and the textile fibers being coated with wax, the wax coating being water insoluble and solid at room temperature, the wax coating encompassing the dental textile material and having a fluorine-containing compound substantially uniformly distributed therein which provides fluoride ion in a therapeutic amount to inhibit the formation of dental caries when the waxed dental textile material is intimately contacted with the teeth and gingiva to remove food deposits therefrom, the wax coating being applied in an amount whereby particles thereof are deposited on the teeth at the points of contact and in the general area of the gingiva and fluoride ion is slowly released therefrom over a substantial period of time, and the said fluorine-containing compound being present in an amount to provide about 0.0001-2% by weight of fluoride ion based upon the weight of the wax coating. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 10 wherein the fluorine-containing compound is stannous fluoride. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 10 wherein the said plurality of textile fibers comprises a plurality of nylon filaments.